Monday, 9 August 2010

Using over 1300 used cans as material, Can (2010) creates something spectacular out of the by-products of common life. Consisting of a circular architectural structure, from which lines of cans are suspended as threads, Can builds a wall of fabric out of an everyday object in multiple. By creating a cloth of round cans, Murton teases the viewer by highlighting the inherent three-dimensionality of woven fabric, in spite of its initial two-dimensional appearance. Can’s constructive nature is a key part of the work. By making construction visible, attention is placed on the notion of constituent parts. Cans, once discarded as useless, become the unexpected building blocks of our surroundings.

Can presents a multi-sensory environment that appeals to sound and touch, as well as sight; gaps between the cans allow light to filter and bounce off the metal, creating a shadow-play on the floor. People can enter Can to escape the outside world. Both the subtle sound of the cans’ chiming and the play of shadow on the floor conjure up a nightscape distinct from the busy streets and bright light of the surrounds. Can creates a separate calming space; when you emerge, the contrast jolts the viewer back to the here and now of daily life.

Can is representing Core Gallery for the Deptford X festival gallery plot space. Deptford X is an annual international arts festival, this year held from 23rd September to 3rd October.